Patches, fixes, and tricks

Arthur Dent · 10-15-2002, 04:54 PM

In the beginning of a continueing effort to bring new things to Uber-Geek:

There are tons of sites around with all kinds of tips and tricks for improving the performance of your computer and doing other useful and fun things.

So, which ones have you tried and did they work?

Any tricks for improving Windows XP performance? Better searches for those "Free" downloads? Ways to get faster download speeds from your cable modem?

What's worked for you?

Goatweed · 10-15-2002, 05:17 PM

Quote:Ways to get faster download speeds from your cable modem?

I went to DSL Reports. They have forums for cable, DSL, satellite, etc. Dependng on your connection, you visit the forum, take a speed test as well as a few other ones, post your results and the forum techies suggest any and all tweaks you should make to Windows to get the most out of your speed. This was particularly an issue for me when I installed XP Pro, and the guys there really got me moving fast.

Quote:Any tricks for improving Windows XP performance?

There are several sites out there that discuss tweaks to XP, etc. but I really just leave the OS alone (save for a few programs that try to run at start-up). I mainly tweak my machine for game play, and it's usually a combination of downloading drivers for the vid card, RAM settings, swapfile size, etc. I visit 3D Spotlight for tips and suggestions. They also have guides for games like Quake 3, UT2K3 (I think, I haven't checked yet) to help you tweak the in-game settings for more fps or smoother play.

Quote:Better searches for those "Free" downloads?

Most times I get free downloads from CNet or ZD Net. I read PC Mag, Computer Shopper, and most times they refer to web addys for free utilities, etc - so I use those also.

AdolescentMasturbator · 10-15-2002, 08:45 PM

Analog-X usually has kick-ass stuff.

Also check out X-Teq X-Setup and TweakUI.

Weird NJ · 10-15-2002, 08:47 PM

Has anyone found a good version of Winxp SP1 I can use?

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Edited By Weird NJ on 1034715078

Goatweed · 10-15-2002, 08:59 PM

The actual SP1 is the one you can use - you need to get a hold of a serial key changer to install it on your cracked XP. I think I have it at home.

By the way, I heard SP1 is buggy and has been causing problems for people. I haven't installed it, nor do I plan to until MS gives me absolutely no choice. If you've kept up with the security and IE patches, you're good to go - unless you absolutley MUST have WMP9 Rolleyes

Weird NJ · 10-15-2002, 09:07 PM

That's the thing. I did update my serial and all it did was help me get back on to XP updates.com. SP1, after it downloads the install file by the way, stops installing and gives me some dumbass message about a "possible pirated copy of xp."

PeterDragon · 10-16-2002, 03:49 PM

Quote:but I really just leave the OS alone (save for a few programs that try to run at start-up).

how do you stop that in XP? in win98 I ran the system configuration utility from system information to prevent things like realplayer update from running. What is equivalent in XP?

SP1- I installed xp originally using a version that supposedly had sp1 slipstreamed. In add/remove programs it says I have sp1 installed, but the windows update utility keeps telling me I need sp1.
Also I didn't use the serial everyone was using for my corporate version, but another serial. anyone have experience updating with those?

lastly, I can't properly get the XPpro machine to network/share files/printer with a win98se machine. Is there any tricks? where do I go to setup other users? do I need to run a partition in NTFS for that?

Goatweed · 10-16-2002, 04:18 PM

Quote:how do you stop that in XP? in win98 I ran the system configuration utility from system information to prevent things like realplayer update from running. What is equivalent in XP?

Firstly, open Realplayer and under the preferences tab/menu, look for the "start at windows boot" option - it's there, they just make it hard to find. Remove the check, save, and kill RealPlayer. Then reboot. Once you're back at the desktop, it shouldn't be in your system tray. Just to be sure, do CTRL-ALT-DEL and look for "Realplayer" or anything "Real" based. If it's still there, go to Start-Run-and type MSCONFIG. Then go to the STARTUP tab, and deselect everything having to do with Realplayer (as well as anything else you don't want to run at startup). Save, the reboot again - you should be good to go.

As for your SP2 issues, I have no clue - I didn't install it, nor do I use Windows Update because my XP Pro is a cracked copy, and I was told to never use WU because it might see the cracked serial and kill the functionality of the OS.

I can't offer you any help wth your networking issue either - that's the next step for me to take, once I build my new machine - but I'll be using XP Pro on that one also since XP Pro's stability blows 98SE's out of the water.

Danked · 10-16-2002, 04:29 PM

Quote:As for your SP2 issues, I have no clue - I didn't install it, nor do I use Windows Update because my XP Pro is a cracked copy, and I was told to never use WU because it might see the cracked serial and kill the functionality of the OS.

I was told the same thing, but used WU anyway. It eventually locked me out. And that's when I changed the serial. I found a list of them, 30 or so. WU still works for me today as does automatic updates. But that bastard SP1 update kicks me out of the install everytime.

I am running the Corp version on top of an XPHome version from a compiled CD. So what version XP do I have?

Weird NJ · 10-16-2002, 04:30 PM

D'oh. :fuckoff: Fucker!

Goatweed · 10-16-2002, 04:35 PM

Quote:I am running the Corp version on top of an XPHome version from a compiled CD. So what version XP do I have?

I don't know, I'm using a corporate version of XP Pro myself. Was that list available online, by any chance? I have a serial-changer at home, but I only have one serial to use. Being able to use WU would be good for me now - I used to use CNET Catch-up, but they stopped the service "indefinitely" :-(

Weird NJ · 10-16-2002, 04:50 PM

I think I found it on some board, but I don't have faintest idea which one. Let me dig through my files and locate it and I'll get back to ya. :burnfucker:

Goatweed · 10-16-2002, 04:52 PM

thanks! :thumbs-up:

PeterDragon · 10-16-2002, 09:06 PM

MSConfig - that's it. I always got to it in win98 via system info. Now a lot of that stuff is"hidden" - ie you actually have to type it into run command.

I had a bitch of a time installing XP the first time. I had 2 copies - one wouldn't boot (even though it was supposed to be "bootable"), and the other kept stopping - giving me a "invalid hardware error", or some such nonsense. I went to load win98 temporarily instead, and It was having a problem reading the cd - it kept asking for floppy, and wouldn't progress. After 6 hours of stupidity, I copied win98 to the HD, booted from cd but switched to HD to do install. After win98 installed I was able to use the non-bootable XP Pro corp to upgrade. I had a list of 15 other serials, and I picked a different one than the notorious one, and it worked.

I am running win98se on the old machine, which is Pent-II 300; I don't know if it will take XP.

since my last post I found this on PC mag site <a target="new" href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,570867,00.asp">PC world - make windows better</a>

EDIT: I finally got my 2 computers to "see" each other; I had to go to the XP install disk to /valueadd and find where the NetBUI protocol install files were . Once I installed NetBUI, I was able to connect the two computers.

Edit 2: I gambled and successfully downloaded & installed the sp1 update from MS. Note: my copy of XP supposedly already had SP1 (although not according to MS), and more importantly I didn't install with the FCKGW- cdkey, but used another generated key.

Edited By PeterDragon on 1034824478